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Amp reccomendations

S

steelblueSE

Hard-core CEG'er
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Jul 31, 2003
Messages
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I am looking for an amp to power a Power Acoustik P2-12. Power rating for it is 600rms/1400peak. I am looking for a mono block to run at 2 ohms. The box is 1.2cu ft and sealed. I am considering the Profile AP1500m, Infinity Ref 611a, Infinity Ref 1600a. I am trying to find something with 600-700rms and stay under $200 preferably around $150. The S/N ratios on the Infinity amps are low as well as the peak watts, would this affect sound quality? Any other suggestions or tips on finding the right amp. Thanks.

edit: also looking at the Panasonic cy-pad1003u as well but can't determine if it's 2ohm stable.
 
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Does it have to be new or would you consider a used amp? Does it have to have a built in crossover?
 
The panasonic is 2ohm stable. 700w rms x1 @ 2ohm. Just about every mono block amplifier will be 2ohm stable. Its 1ohm stable that is more difficult to find. I would honestly look for a 1ohm stable amplifier. Running a 2 ohm load on a 1ohm stable amp is like using a V6 in a car that only needs a 4cyl.... it just works better and cooler. Every now and then a gem will come out on the market that is budget priced like the JBL Power series a few years back but those are long gone and selling for more now 7 years later than they did off the shelves new. If you can find a 600.1 or 1200.1 on ebay Jump on it!
With the budget you are on I would consider looking into the Maxxsonics brands. They are the company that started out with the Hifonics label(still one of the best amp lines made) and have grown to now own MB Quart and Crunch. Look into the Crunch line, That is the budget line from Maxxsonics. It is a great quality amp and will have every feature you want with gobs of power for a good price. Also don't worry about peak wattage stats. They are pointless and usually just used as a marketing gimmick.
look along the lines of the Crunch GPV2000.1 1000W RMS x1 @ 2ohm for around $150. It is also 1ohm stable. This will give you plenty of options when you decide to upgrade your sub later.
 
I would like it to be new, say what you want but I wouldn't trust a used amp. I'm not building massive system, just want to add as much bass as I can while staying cheap. I am really leaned towards the Panasonic because I can get it for about $130 and it fits the rms, it is compact enough to fit on the box and is a class D. The Crunch P1500.1 is probabaly my second choice. I don't wanna go too much over the rms of the sub.

I'm not sure what the crossover is for, I assume its to send signal above what the sub does to the mids/tweeters. I don't have the door speakers amped. I might later down the road but for now I don't think they need it.
 
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99SEsport2K4 said:
I would like it to be new, say what you want but I wouldn't trust a used amp. I'm not building massive system, just want to add as much bass as I can while staying cheap. I am really leaned towards the Panasonic because I can get it for about $130 and it fits the rms, it is compact enough to fit on the box and is a class D. The Crunch P1500.1 is probabaly my second choice. I don't wanna go too much over the rms of the sub.

I'm not sure what the crossover is for, I assume its to send signal above what the sub does to the mids/tweeters. I don't have the door speakers amped. I might later down the road but for now I don't think they need it.
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There's no reason not to trust used amps if you're buying from a reliable source that has a DOA return policy. The reason I mentioned used is because you can get a much higher quality amp at a reasonable price as opposed to buying new. I'm using amps that are 15 years old and I've never had a problem. They get so hot that sometimes I cook eggs on them. They never shut down though... Gotta love the old school PPI art series lol. You will need a crossover for the sub and more than likely any newer amp you buy will probably have one built in.
 
A crossover sends power to the correct frequencies while blocking others. Like for bass it will block the high frequencies it doesnt want anyway. Some amps have a switch for it on them, some headunits have a setting for it and some headunits have a separate output for the subs that does it on its own.
 
The HU has a set of preouts for the sub and it has a built in low pass filter. All I should have to do it match the lowpass on the amp with the hu then use the subsonic filter to get rid of what the sub can't produce on the low end right?
 
I called Panasonic and they didn't know if it really was 2 ohm stable. The owners manual says min impedence 2ohm but no one lists power/thd specs so I ordered a Crunch P1500.1 for 142 shipped. I hope the sub can handle an extra 150w rms.
 
99SEsport2K4 said:
The HU has a set of preouts for the sub and it has a built in low pass filter. All I should have to do it match the lowpass on the amp with the hu then use the subsonic filter to get rid of what the sub can't produce on the low end right?
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If the headunit has a separate sub preout you should just plug it into the amp and go. Be sure that the preout is enabled though because I've seen units that didnt turn on the preouts unless you told it to.
 
I just came across something....the fuse that came with my wiring kit is a 80amp and theres 3 40amp fuses on the amp. Should the fuse in the fuse block be higher that the ones on the amp?
 
99SEsport2K4 said:
I just came across something....the fuse that came with my wiring kit is a 80amp and theres 3 40amp fuses on the amp. Should the fuse in the fuse block be higher that the ones on the amp?
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I assume your talking about the under the hood fuse. The purpose of that fuse is for your safety in case of an accident. If the power wire gets pinched then the fuse will pop so you dont have a live wire in your car. You should be ok with 80a. Especially while running a 2ohm load. If it pops, step up to 100a. I currently have an 80a fuse and I'm running 2 amps with 120a total in fuses so we should be in relatively the same boat. What gauge wire kit do you have? It should be at least 4ga.
 
I have 4 ga run, but a friend gave me 16ft of marine grade 2ga that I thought about running to a distribution block. Maybe I'll do that someday in the summer when I'm feeling ambitious.

edit: Carpe- are you running a cap?
 
As long as you have sound grounds the rms you'll be running should be supported by the alternator without a cap. Your sub should be fine with the extra 150 watts as well. Just compensate by cutting down the gain a bit.
 
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